What is an indicator of fetal lung maturity?

One of the main indicators of fetal lung maturity is amniotic fluid. There is a type of test that people can undergo to check this. The test is called Lamellar body count or LBC. This is very simple and would be enough to let the mother know if the baby is coming early. Another test that can be done is amniocentesis.

Another test that can be done that will only take a short period of time to do is fluorescence polarization. Fetal Lung Maturity is one of the possible conditions that fetuses may develop especially when they are born prematurely. Babies that are born at 34 weeks will most likely have lungs that are mature enough.

There are several indications for fetal lung maturity. They may include preeclampsia, the premature rupturing of the membranes, imminent delivery, which is induced by preterm labor, fetal distress. It is of great necessity and importance to manage these kinds of patients well in the clinic by the medical laboratory determination of Fetal Lung Maturity.

These kinds of tests will provide timely and accurate information to the clinician as to maybe to prevent preterm delivery or to make provision for maternal drug therapy in order to improve lung maturity. There are two basic classifications of the fetal lung maturity tests that are available they are biochemical and also the biophysical.

While the biochemical on its own determine the amount of the components of the surfactant then includes the lecithin ratio, the Biophysical tests, on the other hand, do determine just the physical attributes of the phospholipid surfactants.

Lecithin-sphingomyelin ratio, also known as L-S or L/S ratio, is the major cause of fetal lung maturity. It is also used as an indicator of fetal lung maturity.

The lungs are one of the important organs in the body; the lungs require surfactant to lower the pressure of the alveoli in the lungs. Surfactant is a mixture of protein, lipids, glycoproteins, lecithin, and sphingomyelin. The lecithin places an important role in the surfactant because it makes the mixture more effective.

The movement of pulmonary secretions from the fetal lungs into the amniotic fluid helps to maintain a balance between lecithin and sphingomyelin. To test for fetal lung maturity, amniotic fluid is collected via amniocentesis, and the sample is spun down in a centrifuge at 1000 rpm for 3–5 minutes. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is performed on the supernatant, which separates out the components.

The relation between lecithin and sphingomyelin in the amniotic fluid are the indicators of fetal lung maturity. This is possible because the fetal lung secretes fluid and surfactant into which in turn changes the composition of the amniotic fluid.

The lecithin-sphingomyelin is a major maker in fetal lung maturity; this happens when the lecithin concentrations increase significantly while the sphingomyelin remains almost the same. An advanced indicator is a phosphatidylglycerol; it appears in the amniotic fluid at 36 weeks’ gestation.

There is a test to indicate fetal lung maturity; one of them is the new test include lamellar body counts. These fetal lungs are common in infant, pregnant women. The pulmonary surfactant insufficiency in premature infants leads to RDS and death.

The testing of amniotic fluid for PG is an ideal marker for predicting fetal lung maturity. The AFP measurement in the amniotic fluid is more dependable as a marker of fetal abnormalities than as a sign of fetal lung maturity. Surfactant protein may be valuable as a marker. Although thyroid hormones are essential in fetal lung maturation, the amount of thyroxine in the amniotic fluid is of limited or no value. The placenta is large and resistant to thyroid hormones. The concentration of thyroid hormones in the amniotic fluid is restricted. The fetus practically breathes in and out amniotic juice, and the amount of surfactant in the lungs may be revealed by measuring surfactant in the amniotic fluid.